Linking Infant Sleep Patterns to Autism Risk: New Insights
Research indicates that infants who sleep less or have poor sleep quality may face a higher risk of being diagnosed with autism. The study, involving over 1000 mother-infant pairs, highlights the potential of sleep characteristics to serve as indicators for early autism diagnosis and intervention.
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- India
New research highlights that infants experiencing inadequate sleep might be at an increased risk of developing autism. This study, focusing on over 1000 Australian mother-infant pairs, emphasizes the connection between sleep quality and autism characteristics identified at ages two and four.
Published in the 'Archives of Disease in Childhood,' the findings reveal that better sleep quality in infants could reduce autism characteristics. Specifically, an hour more of night-time sleep by six months of age is associated with decreased autism traits in later years.
The researchers suggest that monitoring infant sleep patterns could help in the early identification of children benefiting from autism monitoring. This could ultimately lead to timely interventions for improving outcomes for autistic children.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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